Vehicle management system

• US 9,068,374 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2011
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PES School of Engineering
• Original Assignee: PES School of Engineering
• Inventors: Jayadevappa, Suryaprasad, Syed, Haseeb Arfath, Sridhar, Srinidhi
• Primary Examiner(s): Karmis, Stefanos
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler, Michael E
• Application Number:
  US13/009,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20120143401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,622 Days
• Field of Search: 701/519
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 2003/005 Supports or holders associated with means for bike rental
• CPC Class Codes: B62H 3/00 Separate supports or holders for parking or storing cycles cycle supports used during maintenance B25H; building aspects E04H
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 17/22 Means for operating or controlling lock or fastening device accessories, i.e. other than the fastening members, e.g. switches, indicators E05B39/00 - E05B45/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/0012 with rotary electromotors actuators with rotary electromotors per se H02K7/06, H02K23/68
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/004 the magnets acting directly on the bolt
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 47/026 the bolt moving rectilinearly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00174 Electronically operated locks; Circuits therefor; Nonmechanical keys therefor, e.g. passive or active electrical keys or other data carriers without mechanical keys mechanical locks with electric permutation E05B49/00; arrangements for sensing or reading record carriers G06K7/00; electronic switching H03K17/00

Abstract

A method and system for managing vehicles within a boundary is provided. Boundary units positioned at predetermined locations in a managing area define a boundary, within which multiple docking stations that secure the vehicles are positioned. Each docking station comprises a client component and a locking unit. The client component, in communication with a central server, allocates a vehicle to a user based on allocation criteria. The locking unit unlocks the allocated vehicle from a docking station. Each vehicle comprises a vehicle control unit, in communication with the boundary units, for determining proximity of the allocated vehicle to the defined boundary, and for restricting movement of the allocated vehicle when the allocated vehicle is in close proximity to the defined boundary. The central server, in communication with the boundary units, determines location of the allocated vehicle, when the allocated vehicle is in close proximity to and breaches the defined boundary.

Claims

1. A method for managing a plurality of vehicles within a boundary, comprising:

providing a vehicle management system comprising;

a plurality of boundary units for creating a virtual boundary around a managing area, wherein said boundary units are adapted to receive beacon signals broadcasted from vehicle control units electromechanically connected to each of said vehicles, and wherein said boundary units are further adapted to respond to said vehicle control units when received signals are said beacon signals;

a plurality of docking stations positioned at predetermined locations within said managing area for parking and securing said vehicles, wherein each of said docking stations comprises a client component and a locking unit, wherein said locking unit is adapted to be movable along the length of said docking station, and wherein said locking unit comprises sensors for automatically sensing, locking and unlocking said vehicles at each of said docking stations;

said vehicle control units adapted for electronic communication with said boundary units and said client component in each of said docking stations; and

a central server in electronic communication with said boundary units, said docking stations, and said vehicle control unit in a networked environment for monitoring and managing said boundary units, said docking stations, and said vehicle control unit;

creating said virtual boundary around said managing area by placing said plurality of boundary units at predetermined locations along said managing area based on one or more of a communication range of radio frequency transceivers located within said boundary units, and number of corners in said managing area, wherein said docking stations are included within said virtual boundary;

creating a critical grid and a deadline grid with reference to said virtual boundary within the communication range of each of said boundary units by using a proximity calculation algorithm, wherein said critical grid and said deadline grid are virtual grid lines within said virtual boundary of said managing area;

creating said critical grid at a distance from said virtual boundary within which an allocated vehicle is adapted to be slowed down by said vehicle control unit;

adapting said vehicle control unit to initiate braking of said allocated vehicle when said allocated vehicle crosses said critical grid;

creating said deadline grid closer to said virtual boundary than said critical grid, wherein said allocated vehicle is adapted to be locked and disabled by said vehicle control unit before said allocated vehicle breaches said virtual boundary;

adapting said vehicle control unit to initiate locking of said allocated vehicle when said allocated vehicle reaches said deadline grid, wherein sensors located in a disabling unit operably connected to a wheel of said vehicles are used by said vehicle control unit to control speed of said vehicles;

adapting said client component to allocate one of said vehicles from one of said docking stations to a user based on an allocation criteria, wherein said client component is adapted to communicate with said central server to determine said allocation criteria;

adapting said locking unit of said one of said docking stations to unlock said allocated one of said vehicles from said one of said docking stations;

adapting said vehicle control unit to broadcast said beacon signal to enable determination of proximity of said allocated vehicle to said virtual boundary based on a response received from one or more of said boundary units, wherein said boundary units are adapted to check and respond to said vehicle control units on reception of said beacon signal, wherein said vehicle control unit is adapted to compute signal strengths of said received response signals by retrieving the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values of said response signals, wherein said vehicle control unit is adapted to use said RSSI values to calculate a distance between said allocated vehicle and a responding boundary unit, and wherein RF transceivers and ceramic antennas are included in said vehicle control unit and said boundary units to precisely determine location of said allocated vehicle in crowded environments dominated by buildings and trees;

managing movement of said allocated one of said vehicles within said virtual boundary, comprising one of;

restricting movement of said allocated one of said vehicles within said virtual boundary by adapting said vehicle control unit to perform one of;

reduce said speed of said vehicles below a preset low value by monitoring said speed of movement of said vehicles using said sensors in said disabling unit, and by activating a brake actuator in said disabling unit, when said allocated one of said vehicles crosses said critical grid; and

bring said vehicles to a halt and lock said vehicles by using a lock actuator in said disabling unit, when said allocated one of said vehicles crosses said deadline grid; and

adapting said locking unit of one of said docking stations to lock said allocated one of said vehicles, when said user parks said allocated one of said vehicles at one of said docking stations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said locking unit of each of said docking stations is slidably attached on a support structure in said each of said docking stations, wherein said locking unit contacts a securing component provided on said support structure for engaging and disengaging said allocated one of said vehicles from said one of said docking stations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said locking unit identifies and unlocks said allocated one of said vehicles secured at said one of said docking stations by sliding along said support structure, scanning vehicle identifiers of said vehicles secured at said one of said docking stations, and matching said vehicle identifiers with a vehicle identifier of said allocated one of said vehicles communicated to said locking unit by said client component.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said locking unit, in communication with said securing component provided on said support structure, determines status of said vehicles at each of said docking stations based on arrival and said parking of said vehicles at said each of said docking stations and lock condition of said vehicles.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said allocation criteria for allocating said one of said vehicles from said one of said docking stations comprise charge level of each of said vehicles parked and secured at said one of said dockings stations and user authorization.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said vehicle control unit sends a warning signal to said user when said allocated one of said vehicles is in said close proximity to said virtual boundary.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a user identifier to said user by said central server on registration of said user with said central server, wherein said client component of said one of said docking stations in communication with said central server authorizes said user using said user identifier, and wherein said central server associates said user identifier with a vehicle identifier of said allocated one of said vehicles.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said client component provides a communication interface for receiving identification information from said user for authorization of said user, in communication with said central server, for allocating said one of said vehicles to said user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining location of said allocated one of said vehicles by said central server in communication with said boundary units, when said allocated one of said vehicles is in said close proximity to said defined boundary and when said allocated one of said vehicles breaches said virtual boundary.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising logging usage statistics of said allocated one of said vehicles by said central server in communication with each of said docking stations, said vehicle control unit, and said boundary units, wherein said central server generates billing information for said user based on said logged usage statistics.

11. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, wherein said computer program product comprises computer program code for:

receiving identification information of a user, a plurality of docking stations, a plurality of vehicles parked and secured at each of said docking stations, and a plurality of boundary units, and for registering said users, said docking stations, said vehicles, and said boundary units;

verifying said identification information received from said user for enabling allocation of one of said vehicles from one of said docking stations to said user;

creating a virtual boundary around a managing area using radio frequency communication between said boundary units, wherein number of said boundary units required to create said virtual boundary depends on one or more of a communication range of radio frequency transceivers in each of said boundary units and number of corners in said managing area, wherein said docking stations are included within said virtual boundary, wherein said boundary units are adapted to receive beacon signals broadcasted from vehicle control units electromechanically connected to each of said vehicles, and wherein said boundary units are further adapted to respond to said vehicle control units when received signals are said beacon signals;

creating a critical grid and a deadline grid with reference to said virtual boundary within the communication range of each of said boundary units by using a proximity calculation algorithm, wherein said critical grid and said deadline grid are virtual grid lines within said virtual boundary of said managing area;

creating said critical grid at a distance from said virtual boundary within which an allocated vehicle is adapted to be slowed down by said vehicle control unit;

adapting said vehicle control unit to initiate braking of said allocated vehicle when said allocated vehicle crosses said critical grid;

creating said deadline grid closer to said virtual boundary than said critical grid;

adapting said allocated vehicle to be locked and disabled by said vehicle control unit before said allocated vehicle breaches said virtual boundary;

adapting said vehicle control unit to initiate locking of said allocated vehicle when said allocated vehicle reaches said deadline grid, wherein sensors located in a disabling unit operably connected to a wheel of said vehicles are used by said vehicle control unit to control speed of said vehicles;

adapting said client component to allocate one of said vehicles from one of said docking stations to a user based on an allocation criteria, wherein said client component is adapted to communicate with said central server to determine said allocation criteria;

adapting said locking unit of said one of said docking stations to unlock said allocated one of said vehicles from said one of said docking stations;

adapting said vehicle control unit to broadcast said beacon signal to enable determination of proximity of said allocated vehicle to said virtual boundary based on a response received from one or more of said boundary units, wherein said boundary units are adapted to check and respond to said vehicle control units on reception of said beacon signal, wherein said vehicle control unit is adapted to compute signal strengths of said received response signals by retrieving the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values of said response signals, wherein said vehicle control unit is adapted to use said RSSI values to calculate a distance between said allocated vehicle and a responding boundary unit, and wherein RF transceivers and ceramic antennas are included in said vehicle control unit and said boundary units to precisely determine location of said allocated vehicle in crowded environments dominated by buildings and trees;

managing movement of said allocated one of said vehicles within said virtual boundary, comprising one of;

restricting movement of said allocated one of said vehicles within said virtual boundary by adapting said vehicle control unit to perform one of;

reduce said speed of said vehicles below a preset low value by monitoring said speed of movement of said vehicles, when said allocated one of said vehicles crosses said critical grid; and

bring said vehicles to a halt and lock said vehicles, when said allocated one of said vehicles crosses said deadline grid; and

adapting said locking unit of one of said docking stations to lock said allocated one of said, when said user parks said allocated one of said vehicles at one of said docking stations;

logging usage statistics of said allocated one of said vehicles in communication with each of said docking stations, said vehicle control unit, and said boundary units; and

generating billing information for said user based on said logged usage statistics.

12. A method for managing a plurality of vehicles within a boundary, comprising:

providing a vehicle management system comprising;

a plurality of boundary units for creating a virtual boundary around a managing area, wherein said boundary units are adapted to receive beacon signals broadcasted from vehicle control units connected to each of said vehicles, and wherein said boundary units are further adapted to respond to said vehicle control units when received signals are said beacon signals;

a plurality of docking stations positioned at predetermined locations within said managing area for parking and securing said vehicles, wherein each of said docking stations comprises a client component and a locking unit;

said vehicle control units adapted for electronic communication with said boundary units and said client component in each of said docking stations; and

a central server in electronic communication with said boundary units, said docking stations, and said vehicle control unit in a networked environment for monitoring and managing said boundary units, said docking stations, and said vehicle control unit;

creating said virtual boundary around said managing area by placing said plurality of boundary units at predetermined locations along said managing area based on one or more of a communication range of radio frequency transceivers located within said boundary units, and number of corners in said managing area, wherein said docking stations are included within said virtual boundary;

creating a critical grid and a deadline grid by said boundary units with reference to said virtual boundary within the communication range of each of said boundary units, wherein said critical grid and said deadline grid are virtual grid lines within said virtual boundary of said managing area;

creating said critical grid at a distance from said virtual boundary within which an allocated vehicle is adapted to be slowed down by said vehicle control unit;

adapting said vehicle control unit to initiate braking of said allocated vehicle when said allocated vehicle crosses said critical grid;

creating said deadline grid closer to said virtual boundary than said critical grid, wherein said allocated vehicle is adapted to be locked and disabled by said vehicle control unit before said allocated vehicle breaches said virtual boundary;

adapting said vehicle control unit to initiate locking of said allocated vehicle when said allocated vehicle crosses said deadline grid;

adapting said client component to allocate one of said vehicles from one of said docking stations to a user based on an allocation criteria, wherein said client component is adapted to communicate with said central server to determine said allocation criteria;

adapting said locking unit of said one of said docking stations to unlock said allocated one of said vehicles from said one of said docking stations;

adapting said vehicle control unit to broadcast said beacon to enable determination of proximity of said allocated vehicle to said virtual boundary based on a response received from one or more of said boundary units, wherein said boundary units are adapted to check and respond to said vehicle control units on reception of said beacon signal, wherein said vehicle control unit is adapted to compute signal strengths of said received response signals by retrieving the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) values of said response signals, wherein said vehicle control unit is adapted to use said RSSI values to calculate a distance between said allocated vehicle and a responding boundary unit;

managing movement of said allocated one of said vehicles within said virtual boundary, comprising one of;

restricting movement of said allocated one of said vehicles within said virtual boundary by adapting said vehicle control unit to perform one of;

reduce said speed of said vehicles below a preset low value by monitoring said speed of movement of said vehicles, when said allocated one of said vehicles crosses said critical grid; and

bring said vehicles to a halt and lock said vehicles, when said allocated one of said vehicles crosses said deadline grid; and

adapting said locking unit of one of said docking stations to lock said allocated one of said vehicles, when said user parks said allocated one of said vehicles at one of said docking stations.